5 Reasons to Use Insulated Bags for Food Delivery

When hungry customers order food from a delivery company, they’re looking forward to a delicious, piping hot meal. But once food is collected from the restaurant, it’s no longer being kept warm on the cooker. It becomes a battle against time and weather to keep it hot – especially in the winter. That’s why many delivery companies, like Deliveroo, turn to branded cooler backpacks and insulated bags to keep food warm whilst building their brand. Here, we share five key reasons to use custom branded thermal bags for your food delivery service or restaurant. 

It Keeps Food Hot

The top reason to use a thermal bag for food delivery is an obvious one – it keeps hot foods hot! High quality insulated bags will maintain proper food temperature while controlling moisture levels. The result? Your food is less likely to get soggy on the way to your customers. The key here is layers – the foam insulation between the outer layer and inner lining is what keeps your food hot and safe. 

Insulated bags typically feature water-resistant nylon or vinyl exteriors, so delivery drivers or bikers can use them in all weather conditions, from sun to rain to snow. Nylon tends to be a bit more “breathable” than vinyl or PVC, allowing steam to escape from your food to prevent sogginess. Nylon insulated bags will typically cost more than vinyl, which is less breathable, but both materials work well and are far superior to delivering food in non-insulated bags. Lastly, quality closures are also key to keeping food hot. We offer insulated bags with a range of effective closures, including zippers, buckles, Velcro or hook-and-loop closures. 

We offer a range of stock cooler bags but we can also tailor make the ideal bag to match your food delivery needs, including shape, size, materials, straps, closures, colour and branding.

For those keen to know even more about the design and technology behind insulated bags, please check out this helpful guide from the Webstaurant Store, a U.S.-based distributor of restaurant supplies and equipment. 

It Separates Food

Comfort-food restaurant Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) is a popular option at Deliveroo. Customers can order a classic cheese burger, fries, and even a Madagascan Vanilla milkshake. But how do you keep the milkshake cold and the burger and fries hot? Deliveroo’s answer is specially designed bags that feature separate pockets for hot and cold food. This also helps ensure that food stays secure while in transit. 

Do you offer both hot and cold items? Don’t let one item ruin the other by lumping them all into one main compartment! Instead, we can help you custom design a food bag to meet the exact size and shape of your menu options, from frozen treats to drinks to hot-off-the-grill vegetarian options, like this “vegan dirty burger”. 

It Prevents Spillage 

Another benefit of insulated bags for food delivery is that they can prevent spillage, especially if your deliveries are being made by bike. Which brings up another point – even the most seasoned delivery driver with a perfectly designed bag can still encounter a spill or two.  When food or drinks do spill during transport, a thermal bag provides a bit more protection to keep the other foods dry and protected. Thermal bags can also easily be cleaned, so you can recover from one small set-back of a spill and quickly get on to your next order. 

At Rocket Bags, we can create custom insulated bags to house your most popular foods and keep the right items separated. This might even be an insulated pizza bag complete with special interior racks to keep your pepperoni and cheese secure from start to finish.

Encourages Reorders 

A happy customer is a repeat customer! For all of the reasons above, branded insulated bags are a savvy addition to your food delivery service as they’ll help ensure that your customers get exactly what they want, when they want it. Hot foods will arrive hot and fast and cold foods will arrive with no melting or spilling. 

This is especially important as competition in the food delivery space is really heating up (pardon the pun). Since the birth of Deliveroo, it has seen revenue growth of over 650% year on year. Restaurants that partner with Deliveroo benefit too (these establishments often see their revenue increase by 30%) as does the local economy through the addition of new jobs to serve this industry growth. The food delivery service, in general, is booming – Forbes estimates that it will grow to $200 billion by 2025!

In light of this forecasted growth and increased competition, getting and retaining your customers is as important as ever. Adding high-quality insulated bags is one clear way to ensure satisfied customers and repeat orders. 

See and Be Seen 

Lastly, who hasn’t seen a Deliveroo bag around town?! In addition to the other benefits, customised thermal bags are a great way to showcase your brand wherever your deliver drivers or riders go. We can create custom bags that feature exact replicas of your brand or logo, or even a range of unique bags with funny graphics or memorable messages. 

We hope this post provides a bit more clarity on why insulated bags are key to your food delivery service. Ready to make the investment but not sure what type of bag is best? That’s where we come in.

Our experts can help you put together the perfect bag for your needs, be it one or 1,000 bags, and our design service is always free of charge. Together, we can help you keep your hungry customers happy and returning for seconds.